London South East Colleges has developed the plans in partnership with the airport over the past two years, after a £6.2m grant for the project was secured from the GLA’s Skills for Londoners FE Capital Investment Fund.
Two public consultations for local residents, stakeholders and employer partners have taken place during this time, with feedback from these sessions helping to shape the final proposals.
The new £11m college is expected to open in 2021. It will help address the huge skills gap that the aviation industry is facing by providing first-class technical training for the next generation of engineers, technicians and ground crew.
Key employer partners supporting the project include: Bombardier, Gatwick Airport, London City Airport, University of Greenwich, Virgin Atlantic and the Royal Aeronautical Society.
Principal and CEO of London South East Colleges, Sam Parrett OBE says: “We are delighted to be taking the next step towards making the London Aerospace and Technology College a reality. We have worked closely with our partners at London Biggin Hill Airport, stakeholders and local residents over the past two years to create a proposal that will benefit the local, regional and indeed national economy.
“The aerospace and aviation industry is growing rapidly and we need to ensure we supply the pipeline of skills that are needed to help this continue. We very much hope to move forward with this project quickly, giving young people throughout the region the opportunity to follow a career pathway into this exciting industry.”
Chairman of London Biggin Hill Airport, Andrew Walters, says: “We’ve been working closely with the Greater London Authority, the London Borough of Bromley, and London South East Colleges to develop these proposals for a state-of-the-art facility, which will offer unique training on site at the airport.
“As the fastest growing business aviation airport in the Europe, our focus is on inspiring and training the aerospace industry professionals of tomorrow. This new college will support our vision and we are excited about moving forward with what is a much-needed project.”
The new college will provide pathways to accreditation and professional qualifications within aviation. A range of technical specialities will be covered, including routes into Aerospace Engineering. The aviation pathways are already underway at London South East Colleges’ Bromley Campus - offering progression into a broad range of jobs on the ground, including Cabin Crew and Aviation Operations.
SN